DANCING helped keep John and June Quirke together during their courtship and early married life and although they no longer take to the dance floor they are still in step.

Mr and Mrs Quirke, 72 and 70 respectively, will be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday at Coughton's Roman Catholic church where they were married exactly 50 years ago.

They met at Sambourne youth club where Mr Quirke taught dancing. Their first date was a trip to the cinema in Studley to see The Great Caruso - but as he had also invited one of his young pupils to go too and his sister as chaperone it was a case of "four's a crowd".

"When we got there there were only two seats next to each other so we sat together and his sister and the other girl had to sit somewhere else," says Mrs Quirke with a gleam in her eye.

They were married about 18 months later and remained in the village of Coughton where Mr Quirke was born. They have nine children - Paul, Mary, Mick, Phillip, Mark, Angie, Matthew, Pauline and Eamonn - 25 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The couple moved to Coughton Lodge last year, giving up a larger house in the village following Mr Quirke's hip operation, but there's still plenty of room for family visits which they both thrive on.

"We see someone every day," said Mrs Quirke. "We get a lot of enjoyment from our children and grandchildren."

The whole family will be together on Saturday for the service, where Mr and Mrs Quirke will renew their marriage vows and receive a Papal blessing, before going on to the King's Court Hotel for a party.

At the service Mr Quirke will also receive a Benementi for his services to the chuchover. Mrs Quirke received the same award last year for her dedicated service as an organist.

The golden wedding is just one of a host of family events for the Quirke family this year - there is also a 40th and 50th birthday, three 18th birthdays and a 1st birthday, not to mention a silver wedding and a wedding.

"It's something to keep us going," said Mrs Quirke who also admitted looking forward to a holiday in Tenerife and a visit to Lourdes later in the year.